If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Comb Honey From A Warre Hive

I currently have two top bar hives, and am thinking about making splits to get a total of four hives. I would like something with a smaller footprint, and supering convenience like a Lang or Warre.

I believe I understand the concept of a Warre, but I have a couple questions.

1) how much of a pain is it to unstack and restack all those boxes every time you super?

2) Since the bees build comb downward, does that mean the brood nest constantly moves down too? If so, do you ever get pure comb that can be harvested as comb honey, or is it only good for extracting due to cocoons?

I was thinking about building a Warre, but would like to super it like a Lang, and let them build upwards. Will the bees do this? Basically it would be a frameless, foundationless Lang.

3) Are there problems with the bees fixing a lot of comb to the vertical walls? Or with comb not being built neatly?

Like I said, I really like my TBH's but I am looking to try other things, and make better use of my square footage. Any thoughts or advice is much appreciated.

Re: Comb Honey From A Warre Hive

Without frames in the Warre it is impossible to super. Because the bees will build the comb from the bars in lower box upward to the bars above. And in warm weather that can cause comb collapse from the weight of honey in the combs. There is an outfit in Michigan that sells Warres with frames. Here is their link, http://www.thewarrestore.com/
You could build your own frames for the Warre too, it would not be that hard. You just got to make sure they are squared up. But that is a lot of work, just depends on what you want to do. Emil designed the hive to be low impact on the bee's. Once in spring to add 2 box's under and once at the end of summer to rob 2 box's off top. Other than that no intrusions into the hive, low impact and stress on bee's. I personally would keep my Top Bars for comb honey and have Warre's for bulk whole honey.
Hope this helps You.
Charlie.
ps. here are a few pics to look at, comb and box building.

Re: Comb Honey From A Warre Hive

Thanks to chaindrivecharlie. So you're saying that if you add the boxes below in the spring, the bees will continue to build down all summer long, and on the fall you take two honey boxes off the top, I got that. Each box has top bars in it correct? Just like the frames in Lang essentially. But you're sayin that if you super a Warre, the bees will build comb backwards and start on top of the bars and build up? Would they also do this in a foundationless Lang? Why would they do it in a supered Warre, but not a Lang or TBH? Build from the floor up that is.
My real focus is to do mostly cut comb honey. Not really sure why, I just find it more appealing. You can go buy bulk honey almost anywhere, but not as often do you find chunk comb honey. Plus I like just cutting a chunk and tossing it in a jar, rather than messing with an extractor etc.

Anyway, honey processing isn't the topic here. I tossed around the idea of supering my TBH, and I've seen a few photos of people doing it, but have never followed up on their success? Do you think the bees would be prone to build from the floor up in this scenario? It would be just like supering a Warre at that point correct?

Re: Comb Honey From A Warre Hive

They need a guide to work with, ie. foundation or a strip. They seem to need a ladder up to bars to build down. Thats why frames with foundation or stater strips work best for supering. If you looked at my pics you will see how they build a natural nest. And you crush and strain the comb from the Warre. This gives you a whole honey, ie. pollen along with honey. Then you are filtering it through cheese cloth to remove everything else. Easy process, some Warre colonys build so fast thet they do leave some good comb honey. But it is the luck of the draw. And yes they do build up and cross comb Langs that have no foundation or starter strips in them. You got all the other concepts pretty much right. And I love comb honey too, but I have Friends with topbars if I need any.

Re: Comb Honey From A Warre Hive

Bush 84, I did that with a package that I put in April. But was still just nadiring, I put it in as a ladder to top box. And so it left me with an opening for queen cage in the top box. Heres a link to what I did for my package in April.https://plus.google.com/photos/11158...18000927130193